


The Darkest Hour

by paulatheprokaryote



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Azkaban, Community: HPFT, F/M, Love Letters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-26
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-07-10 09:34:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6977884
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/paulatheprokaryote/pseuds/paulatheprokaryote
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              
<p></p><div class="center">
  <p><br/><img/><br/>An unexpected person provides a glimmer of light in Sirius Black's darkest hour.</p>
  <p>Flawless banner by  abhorsen. @ the-dark-arts.net</p>
</div>
            </blockquote>





	The Darkest Hour

_**Dear Black,** _

Petunia stared at the blank paper before her. She wasn’t completely sure that his name was Black. She was certain his first name was Sirius. She could recall clearly meeting him at her sister’s mess of a wedding.

_“Well, you can’t control your parents,” He had laughed at her expression, “Now James, that’s a perfectly normal name, huh?” She begrudgingly agreed that it was quite common._

_“Petunia, though! What an extraordinary name!” He leaned in flashing his charming smile at her._

Calling him by his first name would be inappropriate. She hardly knew the man.

_**Dear Black,  
I’m writing you because I’m not sure who else might understand-** _

She rolled her bright blue eyes and crumpled up the parchment. She sounded so needy. A pang of guilt swept through her body. She had someone that she should be able to talk to. Her husband was on a business trip in Spain for another week though. Even if he had been in the very room with her, she could never properly express how she felt. He’d only laugh her off or talk loudly over her.

_**Dear Sirius Black,** _

_**I know it’s been some time since we’ve met, but we talked for a bit at my sister’s wedding.** _

_**Yes, that was much better. What exactly could she say to the man who probably wouldn’t even remember her that wouldn’t sound absolutely bizarre.** _

_**Seeing as you were closer to my sister and her husband, I’m sure you are aware of what happened to them.** _

_**A large part of her both wanted to know more about what happened and distance herself from the entire thing.** _

_**Their son, Harry, is now living with me. I can’t seem to soothe him. Do you have any tips or ideas of how in the world my sister got him to stop crying?** _

_**Sincerely,** _

_**Petunia Evans** _

It was well enough, she decided. She used her maiden name for ease of recognition, she told herself. It had nothing to do with his soulful grey eyes or the way he made her heartbeat irregular. She didn’t actually vent her pain, but she felt somewhat better. She tied her robe tighter around her waist and ventured out to her perfectly manicured garden. In her relatively young walnut tree perched a brown owl that she desperately hoped her husband would never notice.

She knew she should have gotten rid of her sister’s pet, but it was a piece of Lily that she could keep to herself. She laced the letter across the birds ankle and stared at it. How did Lily get the thing to carry letters?

She whispered to the creature, “Take this to Sirius Black.” As if it understood, the bird stretched its feathers and swooped off the branch. She stared momentarily in a daze before returning to her empty bedroom. Sirius was one of the few things she and Lily had been sister-like over. The night of Lily’s wedding, she’d seen them talking. She told Petunia that Sirius would be lucky to have someone as devoted as Petunia.  
\-------------------------------------------------  
Sirius Black stood gaping at the dark owl perched in front of him. Not only was it completely unheard of for prisoners to even receive their mail, but he actually recognized the owl. It was Lily’s. He quickly snatched and hid the letter, hoping the bird would remain quiet. He untied the letter, eyes scanning it rapidly.

_Petunia._

Lily’s uptight, but pretty sister. Definite self-esteem issues, but deep down she wasn’t so bad. He felt his heart well up. Someone from the outside world! He couldn’t believe his luck. He’d almost given in to the madness. Almost. But here was someone from the outside world somehow getting a letter to him!

Sirius heard them before he felt them. A rasping, rattling noise emanated from the start of his isolated cell corridor. They stuck him in isolation because he was a fighter. He hadn’t given in to the despair yet and he tried to rally the others as well. Sure, most of them were the evilest of the evil, remarkably quite a few related to him, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t be temporarily on the same side. If he could just get out of here. An unnatural cold stole over the corridor. The light from the lanterns on the wall vanished. Even the stars shining through his small window seemed to disappear one by one. The chill bit into Sirius’ flesh, then deeper into his soul. A dementor glided in front of his cell. He immediately knew what drew them to him.

The letter from Petunia. He scrambled to hide it without the dementor noticing it. He pushed it behind his back, covering it with a mound of hay. They didn’t usually search cells so it would probably be safe.

Having contact with the outside world had given him just enough hope. Something for the dementors to feast on. The dementor swept closely to the bars on his cell and began the whorl of his nightmares.

_He heard screaming. He saw James’ body sprawled across the stairs. Lifeless and limp. The screaming was his own. James was clearly reaching out for his discarded wand. If only Sirius had been there. They worked better together. He felt like collapsing inward. He felt like dying right there. But Lily. He had to find Lily and Harry. He stepped over the corpse of the man he considered his brother, slowly twisting the doorknob, terrified by what he found. He saw the twisted body of a woman that had grown to be like his sister. Her body had been twisted toward Harry’s crib. He desperately struggled to tear his eyes from her corpse, finally recognizing the other forms in the room. The towering form of Hagrid, holding his precious godson in front of him. His legs finally gave out and he collapsed to the floor, sobbing._

_“Thank god, oh, thank god he’s okay.”_

The dementor feasted with delight with the glimmer of hope for Harry. Despite the state that the dementor put him in, Sirius could nearly hear the glee seeping off the dark figure.

_Hagrid wouldn’t give Harry to him. Sirius was just pleased that Harry was alive. It’s what James and Lily would have wanted. He gave Hagrid his motorbike. Hagrid and Harry would be safer that way. Hagrid left the house, but not before offering condolences to Sirius. Hagrid was sobbing nearly as much as Sirius. Then it hit him. The only way Voldemort could have found them was through Peter. Peter._

_He slammed the door with unadulterated rage, barely pausing when stepping over James’ corpse one last time. Pettigrew would pay for this betrayal with his useless, pathetic life. Sirius would make him suffer for this._

The dementor tore away from Sirius, providing instant relief. He collapsed into a heap on the hay, panting. Something had happened in the courtyard. It swept away from him, returning the heat to the chilled stone cell. The light slowly returned, but the glimmer of hope that Sirius had felt? That wouldn’t return.  
\---------------------------------------------------------  
Sirius Black returned to relatively normal state by lunch time. The dementors escorted the prisoners to the courtyard for lunch. At least half of the populace had to be force fed, preferring death to the darkness their life had become. While most of the dementors were occupied, Sirius grabbed his tray and sat beside the deatheater he found least distasteful, Igor Karkaroff.

“What do you want, Black,” Igor spat as Sirius sat down. It was no secret that Igor was requesting an appeal on his hearing. To get out of here, he’d have to sell someone out, no doubt.

“I have a proposition for you,” Sirius said carefully, watching the dementors as the glided about the courtyard.

“What is it?” Igor snapped shortly.

“I have a way to get messages out. I’ll get a message out for you if you provide me a spare bit of parchment,” Sirius offered bluntly.

“What makes you think I have any parchment?” He asked guardedly.

“I heard my deranged cousin suggest someone jump you for it,” Sirius said casually. That’s not at all how he heard it, but he knew it would would motivate Igor to get rid of it. Bellatrix was vicious, cruel, and not to be crossed.

“How do I know you have a way to get a message out? You might just be after my parchment,” Igor inquired distrustfully.

“You’ll just have to risk it,” Sirius countered, exhausted by the exchange.

Igor prodded at his bowl of slop thoughtfully before consenting.

“Fine, when we are allotted yard time I’ll bring it along with my message. You’d better not be tricking me, Black,” He hissed, black eyes flashing dangerously.

“I’m not,” Sirius said simply. He ate enough to satisfy the dementors before returning to his cell. Yard time would be within a half hour. Until then, Sirius would close his eyes and try to rest. Rest, of course, was hard to come by in such a place.

Igor provided the parchment, as promised. His letter, which Sirius had ‘accidentally’ opened, was to Albus Dumbledore of all people. As he figured, it was offering names in exchange for freedom. Sirius hoped for his sake it worked out. Otherwise, the wrath of fellow inmates would be severe.

Sirius, now armed with pieces of charcoal and a tiny bit of parchment, stared emptily at it, trying to come up with something to say back to the pretty blonde.

**_Petunia,_ **

**_I’m unable to write much, but I’d like to let you know that Harry prefers to be held. He was rarely put down at all. If you’d like him to stop crying, I’d recommend keeping him on your hip as you cook, clean, eat, bathe, and generally exist. I’m not saying he’s spoiled...but...he’s a bit spoiled. It’s very nice to hear from you. I hope Harry continues to be a brat so I hear from you again._ **

**_Sirius_ **

Sirius sent the owl off with his short letter and Igor’s plea.  
\---------------------------------------------------  
Petunia was tending to her bushes when she heard the swooping of a pair of small wings. Petunia's heart lept into her throat at the sight of the small brown owl. He wrote back so soon! The owl settled into the tree where it usually remained. She grabbed for the letter, but the bird nipped at her.

Her pale eyes scanned the paper readily. Rarely put the child down? She definitely couldn't handle that. Every time she picked him up all she could see was her sister staring back at her. Just feeding the boy filled her with dread and disgust and guilt. Things with Lily just got so out of hand so quickly.

Petunia folded the letter up and went inside for a spot of tea. Both of the boys were down for their naps and would be for another hour at least. She smoothed out the parchment and stared at it again. What could she say? How boring must she be that she couldn't find a single word to say to him.

_**Sirius,** _

_**I'm not sure about the feasibility of what you suggest. You'll be pleased to know that Harry has not been any better behaved though. Objects have been...behaving...funny though. Is there a way to have him refrain from causing things to levitate? Every temper tantrum leads to floating furniture and I'm a bit worried what the neighbors might think.** _

_**Petunia** _

Her heart continued to pound in her chest long after she sent the owl back to wherever in the world Sirius Black was residing. Even when changing diapers and feeding with awful airplane noises, all Petunia could dwell on was the lack of formality in the letters between the pair of them. It just seemed so...intimate. She felt nauseous at the thought of Vernon ever happening across them. What would he do?  
\-----------------------------------------------  
_Five months later_

_**Petunia,** _

_**I need to be forthcoming with you.** _

_**Petunia felt the familiar hammering of her heart in her chest. Every letter from Sirius filled her with joy, guilt, dread, and excitement. The rush of having such a massive secret sent her veins coursing with life for the first time since her wedding day.** _

_**You see, I can't stop thinking about you. I know you've said you are married, I know you have Dudley, but I just can't stop thinking about you. Please tell me you feel the same.** _

_**Sirius** _

She, of course, felt the same way. He was charming, handsome, and funny. He seemed to be the only thing in the world that could make her laugh.  
\----------------------------------------  
_2 years later_

_**My darling Tuney,** _

_**I long so terribly to see your face. The one photograph you sent only intensifies my longing. I count down the days, hours, seconds until I might be free to find you at last. There's no denying that we belong together, no matter Vernon. A 'suitable match' as you describe him hardly constitutes love and to be loved, to be cherished, that's what you deserve. Nothing less. The dementors have targeted me more and more lately. It must be because of all the joy you bring me. No matter how terrible they are, nothing can tarnish my adoration for you.** _

_**Yours,** _

_**Sirius**_  
\-----------------------------------------  
_13 years later_

Vernon snatched at the letter in Harry’s hand. Petunia, who usually ignored the arguments between her husband and nephew, tuned in sharply at the word ‘godfather.’ Harry’s godfather was Sirius, wasn’t it? Her heart hammered in her chest and suddenly there was a thick lump in her throat she couldn't choke down. She’d quit writing him a few years ago with only a scribbled apology. Vernon had nearly caught her and she couldn’t do that to Dudley. Emotional affairs, in Vernon’s opinion, were just as bad as physical ones. If he’d read any of the letters, it would have been a divorce in half a heartbeat. Vernon, who'd been looking remarkably purple remarkably often probably wouldn't survive the stress of a divorce to begin with.

"He was my mum and dad's best friend. He's a convicted murderer, but he's broken out of wizard prison and he's on the run. He likes to keep in touch with me…”* Petunia’s world turned upside down. It was Sirius. She’d gathered from their letters that he was locked up in some horrible prison. He claimed he was framed for her sister’s murder by the monster of a man, Peter. She readily believed Sirius the moment she recalled his beady eyes and unnerving nature. Even at the wedding, Petunia couldn’t possibly understand how that man was associated with her sister and her friends, no matter how strange the lot of them were.

Petunia turned around hastily, hanging on to Harry’s every word. She didn't care that Harry was openly taunting Vernon. She didn't care how much he hated them. She just didn't care about much of anything anymore. She did care about Sirius though. If Sirius was free that would mean they could be together…

No, again, she couldn’t do that to Dudley. He was the only other thing in the world that mattered at all. He deserved a normal family. A nice, normal family that mostly hated each other. She couldn’t be so selfish. At least not until Dudley was of age. Then perhaps.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm thinking about writing about a reunion of Petunia/Sirius. Thoughts? Also the starred quote is from POA.


End file.
